Of course we love Merpire! Frankly, it’s hard not to. Part mermaid, part vampire, and part songwriter, Merpire is the musical output of Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Rhiannon Atkinson-Howatt. Building from acoustic beginnings, she has developed a sound that maintains her songwriting’s signature punch of familiarity but ignites it with unexpected textures and tones to create her own mystical sonic world. That voluminous sound is beautifully showcased on her latest single, “Habit.” A warm embrace to all of the people who continue to support her, the welcoming and addictive track is a continual rise of positivity that sinks in further with every repetition of the loving refrain.
In honor of the release of “Habit,” Merpire has compiled for us a collection of photos from her time in Melbourne and the people, places, and things that make it special to her. As you browse through the snaps above, listen to “Habit” and a whole playlist of her Melbourne musical pals below. Here’s what she had to say about the song and the community that inspired it:
‘Habit’ is quite simply a love letter to the people who keep listening to my music. More specifically, the family I’ve found in the music community of Melbourne. It still blows my little Merp mind that the artists in this playlist are my friends. They’re all Australian and all quite clearly doing incredible things with music. The energy and motivation within this community is truly contagious and it’s a love that just keeps growing.
Rat!Hammock are my favourite Australian band brothers. I don’t know what it is but I’m so in love with their sound. They asked me to sing on the recording of their song ‘June’. It still gives me butterflies.
I’ve been lucky enough to spend a lot of time producing and mixing my music alongside the brilliant brain and heart that is James Seymour. We recorded and produced most of ‘Habit’ at a family friends beach house in Anglesea, Victoria. The freedom to push my songs with James is definitely not something I take for granted. I’m a sucker for dreamy, quirky synths and wild, distorted guitars. I loved every minute of exploring that for ‘Habit’. James has a real knack too for hiding little treats in songs to keep going back to and find in each listen.
These photos are of some of the artists in this playlist, including my gal pals that danced in a velodrome with me for the ‘Habit’ video snippets, my band, James, Australian foliage and the dreamy, autumnal streets and culture of Melbourne.
